Seriously considering a job change, can anyone give me the gen on the ‘Courier Exchange’. Am half way thru’ doing a costing exercise and looking for a half decent Merc Sprinter or similar. (At least if it all goes ■■■■ up can always convert it into a camper van.)
I know I wont earn a fortune and be able to buy Stobbie out in a fortnight but getting fed up with being at sea so fancy doing something different. One big drawback is my home location which is roughly half way between Inverness & Aberdeen and isn’t exactly the centre of the industrial universe. My wife reckons I throw money away anyway so this idea might or not go the same way.
Any help would be appreciated.
There is a lot of competition out there, the load boards may be okay for back loads, you really need to find some of your own customers.
I have done it on and of for a long time, but am back truck driving again as it wasn’t paying anymore with the price of fuel!
I am here: tapatalk.com/map.php?3cmk3y
Even more cut throat than “haulage”, you would be better throwing your savings over the side of your boat, less hassle 
Have a look @ COD website, plenty on there with suicidal thoughts
A builder mate of mine rang me on Tuesday, wanting advice about “courier” work, he thinks he can just drop onto loads of brilliant paying work with his battered transit van, whilst the building game is a bit quiet 
He has been quoted 90pplm, thats 45ppm if you don`t get anything to go back with 
Not a good idea IMO 
PPLM = pence per loaded mile
PPM = pence per mile
COD = courier owner driver
As Stanley has said I trade as a couirer although im driving hgv as its not worth doing any courier work at the moment to many people chasing to little work if you go on for one of the big boys you’ll need to have a van under 3-4 years old and have courier insurance quotes for this range from 2k to 8k (I kid you not) then to the make any money you’ll need to do around 3k miles loaded per week. 90 ppm is for a big van is sprinte/ transit lwb your looking at 50-55 ppm for a small van ie ford connect or Vauxhall combo.
That perticular freight board is around 600 quid a year to join and they want half up front lot of money for no work the work off there is usually priced well under that people will want goods moving as a back load R example from London to manchester for 30-50 quid. Please don’t by a bible there full of bs
Stanley who are you on cod forum
Thanks for the info, not very encouraging though. Will have a talk with the missus when I go home on leave in a couple of weeks time and see what pans out. I got fed up with going to sea in 1989 and bought an Iveco Daily 3.5t box van on a whim and it parked on the drive for 2 mths without moving, then I fell in with the ICI computer division man at Scarborough and things then got extremely rosy for a couple of years or so till the ■■■■■ I was married to then decided she liked the bank balance more than she did me. So I then handed back the keys of the wharehouse we had, sold the vans (5) shut the business down, informed the VAT people where she had moved to and buggered off on a ship to west africa for a few mths, came back to UK and went as TM for my son, bought an old Leyland Roadtrain and did that till once again I felt the ‘calling of the sea’. Maybe I will buy a van and park it next to the other motors I don’t use and probably never will and see what transpires, like I say could always convert it.
Sailing from Workington in a few mins for the Clyde but would rather be setting of in my own wee motor for goodness knows where.
alix776:
As Stanley has said I trade as a couirer although im driving hgv as its not worth doing any courier work at the moment to many people chasing to little work if you go on for one of the big boys you’ll need to have a van under 3-4 years old and have courier insurance quotes for this range from 2k to 8k (I kid you not) then to the make any money you’ll need to do around 3k miles loaded per week. 90 ppm is for a big van is sprinte/ transit lwb your looking at 50-55 ppm for a small van ie ford connect or Vauxhall combo.That perticular freight board is around 600 quid a year to join and they want half up front lot of money for no work the work off there is usually priced well under that people will want goods moving as a back load R example from London to manchester for 30-50 quid. Please don’t by a bible there full of bs
Stanley who are you on cod forum
I`m a watcher, just out of interest really, its very informative though 
I put loads of people onto it, just to let them know the pitfalls of courier work, some listen and learn, some crash and burn…
Things must be worse than I thought, haven’t heard one good word for the idea so maybe I wont give up my present job for now even if it is minimum of 12 hours a day 7 days a week for at least two months at a time
raymundo:
Things must be worse than I thought, haven’t heard one good word for the idea so maybe I wont give up my present job for now even if it is minimum of 12 hours a day 7 days a week for at least two months at a time
Wise decision
Stanley Mitchell:
raymundo:
Things must be worse than I thought, haven’t heard one good word for the idea so maybe I wont give up my present job for now even if it is minimum of 12 hours a day 7 days a week for at least two months at a timeWise decision
Seconded from personal experience!
Decision made by a higher authority then me … the wife ! ( and simple arithmetic)
And the job I have now has been changed to one month on and one off and an increase in the daily rate to compensate for the extra time off. So I really would be a complete mug to throw that away, means going on another ship but as its an identical vessel as the one I have now it wont be too bad.
Will have to get a worthwhile hobby or part time job for the month I’m at home.
I have been with Courier Exchange for almost two years, it is not my only source of work though I do have my own customers too.
It is hard work and with the price of diesel going through the roof harder to make money. The way I figure it is if I can make it through this recession I will be laughing… 